DIY | Body Butter Bars (Homemade Christmas Gifts)

I’m a DIY fanatic. I admit it. There’s just something so fun and thrilling about developing and creating your OWN things. Be it a new shirt, hat or beauty product. It’s just so COOL (says the nerd in me :) Ad in that Christmas is right around the corner and I can’t help but MAKE things.

One thing that I notice about the winter months is that I get DRY AS A BONE. I mean sheesh – the cold, frigid Chicago air and the super hot and dry heat in my apartment leave my hair, skin and lips are ALWAYS parched, dry and kinda sad.

That’s where Body Butter Bars come in – they moisturize your skin with a mixture of shea butter and cocoa butter. Perfect to ward off the harsh elements.

So if you’re running out of ideas for Christmas gifts and have no idea what to do – this will be PERFECT. It’s easy and inexpensive.

Body Butter Bars are best used while in the shower after soaping/washing up. The hot water will allow the bar to melt and glide easily.

The ingredients for this bar makes a very hard bar and the high content of cocoa butter will ensure your bar doesn’t melt at room temperature. You should still store it in a cool, dry place when not in use especially on hot days or if you live in a tropical country. You may have difficulty rubbing it into your skin but the bar is designed to be used in a hot shower and should melt nicely.

INGREDIENTS

3 ounces refined cocoa butter
3 ounces refined shea butter
1-2 ounces beeswax*
14 g ground rice, red beans or almonds (or all three)**
4 g fragrance/essential oils***

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Add all of your butters to your double boiler (if you don’t have a double boiler, like I don’t, put an oven safe bowl over a bowling pot of water).

2. Add in ground exfoliants and stir well.

3. When the mixture is warm to the touch add in your fragrance/essential oils.

4. Allow to cool in the fridge until the mixture becomes opaque and has thickened slightly. This helps keep the exfoliants suspended in the mixture instead of sinking to the bottom when placed in the mould. Stir well.

5. Spoon the mixture into your mould.

6. Put the mould back into the fridge and wait. Check back after 20 minutes and it should have hardened nicely.

* Beeswax may not be needed, but is helpful in keeping the bar SOLID. It takes a higher temperature to melt beeswax vs shea butter or cocoa butter. Shea butter melts the quickest, followed by cocoa butter, then beeswax.
** An exfoliant is optional. If not using one, please disregard that portion in the instructions.
***Fragrance is optional!